After decades of recording for RCA Victor,
Atkins switched labels; this 1985 effort is a summit meeting of sorts with young guitar hotshots like
Larry Carlton,
George Benson,
Mark Knopfler,
Steve Lukather, and
Earl Klugh, plus session A-teamers like
Boots Randolph, Larrie Londin,
David Hungate,
Mark O'Connor and others.
Atkins' tone is, as usual, faultless, and his playing superb. If the "meetings" don't always come off, it's usually due to the overzealousness of the other guitar players (
Lukather's over-the-top style screams '80s big hair, for instance), not
Chet, whose playing always exercises the utmost in restraint in every situation. All in all, a good modern-day
Chet Atkins album, but not the place to start a collection. ~ Cub Koda